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What's a Wreck?

A Cake Wreck is any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate - you name it. A Wreck is not necessarily a poorly-made cake; it's simply one I find funny, for any of a number of reasons. Anyone who has ever smeared frosting on a baked good has made a Wreck at one time or another, so I'm not here to vilify decorators: Cake Wrecks is just about finding the funny in unexpected, sugar-filled places.

Now, don't you have a photo you want to send me? ;)

- Jen

Entries in Sunday Sweets (560)

Sunday
Jul242016

Sunday Sweets Kicks It Old School

Let's talk piping, peeps.

Because nothing shows off a baker's talent - or makes our jaws drop - quite like this business right here:

(By Finespun Cakes)

That's a style known as Lambeth, named for Joseph Lambeth, who popularized it back in the 1930s.

 

You'll know a Lambeth cake by its over-the-top frills and use of overpiping, which creates all that fabulous detail and depth:

(By Rosebud Cakes)

 

Of course Lambeth cakes are a bit old-fashioned now, but never fear, piping purists! Some bakers are doing their darndest to bring Lambeth to the next generation, with STUNNING results:

(By Aniko Vargane Orban)

No words. Only grabby hands.

 

Or how about this one?

(By Cakeium)

Check out those crisp clean lines! And still all hand-piped. AH-mazing.

 

While we're throwing back to classic cake skills, let's talk Oriental Stringwork.

(By David Cakes)

This gravity-defying sorcery is achieved with Royal icing, which hardens to a porcelain-like consistency. Believe it or not, that net is handpiped icing, y'all. HAND-PIPED ICING.

 

Bakers are using string work in modern designs now, too, which makes me so, so happy:

(By Pauline Bakes The Cake)

See how the filigree section stands out from the cake?

 

And note the hanging borders on this black and white number:

(By KupKake Tree)

I'm all about that middle tier with the flower, though. Soooo pretty.

 

Oh! And these colors!

(By Cake Decor India)

I never knew how much I needed this color combo in my life, you guys. SO GOOD.

(Btw, to achieve those upward loops? The baker has to turn the cake upside down. Mad skillz, my friends.)

 

Here's one so perfect you'll swear it can't be cake:

(By SifBeth)

See those tiny, TINY lines all around the border? HAND-PIPED.

 

Jumping back to a Lambeth style for this oh-so-sweet number:

(By Craftsy member FlourSugarButtr)

Another fantastic color palette, and don't be fooled by how smooth those ropes are; the base may be fondant, but all the piping is, well, PIPING.

 

And one final Sweet for now:

(By Beyond Buttercream)

Bakers, you are KILLING it with the color choices today. Rock on with your bad selves.

And the rest of you, look closely at those chained string borders. HAND. PIPED.

Hope you guys enjoyed our little glimpse into modern cake mastery! If you're interested, I highly recommend Googling both "Lambeth" and "Oriental Stringwork", because there's so, SO much more than I could show you here today.

Happy Sunday, and happy browsing!

*****

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Sunday
Jul172016

Sunday Sweets For Disneyland's Birthday

Disneyland turns 61 today! Let's celebrate!

(By Cuteology Cakes)

And while we're at it, who can name some of the original opening day attractions back in 1955?

That topper has a nod to one already: Autopia.

Now let's see how many cakes I can find for the rest!

Peter Pan's Flight:

(By Good Gosh Ganache)

Can you believe that leafy texture on the top tier?! And the nailed wood planks on the cake board?

 

Snow White's Scary Adventures:

(By The Vagabond Baker)

Loooove thie gray, white, and red color palette. Stunning.

 

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride:

(By Childs Cakey Cake)

Or, as some of us Dizgeeks prefer to call it, "Mr. Toad Goes To Hell."
It was a simpler stranger time back then, kids.

(And this cake is stunning. Love the cat tails!)

 

Jungle Cruise:

(By Margie Carter Cake World)

The nearest and dearest to my heart of course, since I'm a former JC skipper (though at WDW.) Free tours of the back side of water, folks, any time I happen to have a bottle of water on hand. ;)

 

Main Street Cinema:

(By The Chain Lane Cake Co.)

Ok, technically not a ride, but still a delightful place to watch classic Mickey shorts and escape the heat.

 

King Arthur Carousel:

(By Maria de Los Angeles Castro)

I half expect this cake to start moving, it's so perfect!

 

Mad Tea Party:

(By Torte d'incanto)

There are lots of great Alice teacup cakes out there, but I fell for this sweet vintage take - and Alice's perfect ruffly petticoats.

 

Storybook Land Canal Boats:

(By A Wish and a Whisk)

This bottom tier is Storybook Land themed - see Monstro on the left? But you're allowed to gawk at all the rest, too. ;)

 

So I couldn't find a decent Mark Twain Riverboat or Disney Railroad cake, but to make it up to you, here's a fan favorite that wasn't there opening day:

Haunted Mansion!

 

And you guys, LOOK at this detailed piping:

(By Disneyland Resort, more pics here)

Un. Be. LIEVABLE. Amirite?

 

And one last Sweet hurrah for (one of) the Happiest Places On Earth:

(By Cakelava)

 

Happy Birthday, Disneyland! Here's to many, many more Sweet years.

*****

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